SA vs Pak 2024 – Pakistan opener Saim Ayub injures ankle, stretchered off in New Year’s Test

The incident occurred in the seventh over of the innings when Ryan Rickelton edged one through the slips, sending Ayub off on a chase to deep third alongside Aamer Jamal. Jamal pulled it back in as Ayub stood poised to be the relay fielder, but lost his balance and twisted his ankle. He went down immediately and appeared in anguish holding the lower part of his leg as the physio rushed on.

After prolonged treatment outside the boundary line, Ayub was placed on to a stretcher and taken off, with the injury casting a pall over proceedings for Pakistan. Things only got worse when his replacement fielder, Abdullah Shafique, put down a simple chance a few overs later with Aiden Markram dropped in the covers. It would not cost Pakistan much, though, with Markram falling to Khurram Shahzad two overs later.